The Four Seaons of Love
by legend.of.lola
Summary: Sanako has always been a quiet girl, with a wonderful personality under her shyness. When she moves to the peaceful town of Alvarna, new friends and new experiences may help her break out of her shell. Especially when she has Ray by her side.
1. An Apple a Day

The cherry blossoms were already in full bloom by the time the first day of spring arrived. The town of Alvarna was buzzing with excitement; talk of this year's flower viewing festival could be heard everywhere.

"The flower viewing festival will begin in two weeks, on the thirteenth," Mayor Byron announced, fixing his glasses. "I hope you'll all participate, and have a good time."

The town clapped, then talked amongst themselves excitedly. Everyone felt that this year would be one to remember.

* * *

Though the cherry blossoms were everywhere, and quite difficult to miss, Sanako didn't take any notice of them. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, but she wasn't sure where she was going. This is how she ended up in the town of Alvarna on the third day of spring. She had left her abusive home in order to start a new life.

Maybe I can live here, Sanako thought, as she finally noticed her surroundings.

A small wind blew the cherry blossom trees; the pink petals were scattered everywhere. The sun was shining brightly and Sanako smiled a little at the warmth of the light on her face. She walked on a little more, and came to large fountain. The water sparkled in the sun. She walked over and sat on the side of it, and looked up at the clear, sunny sky.

Suddenly a girl wearing a dark yellow jacket with a hood and a dress walked by. Her eyes were hidden by her long, light blonde hair. Sanako stood up and looked at the girl. She wasn't sure what to say if she wanted to say anything at all. The girl noticed Sanako, then turned around and ran back in the direction she came from. Sanako stood there, stunned, and then saw the girl had dropped something. She walked over and, picking it up, realized it was a stuffed animal.

Sanako, not knowing what else to do, walked toward where the girl had run. She saw her run into the closest building, which was a small hospital. Sanako debated going in, considering her awkward position, but ultimately decided to go, knowing she had to return the animal to the girl. She opened the door and, when she walked in, she saw a lady with pink hair questioning the girl she had seen before.

"Why aren't you answering me, Dorothy? Did you get the herbs or not?" the lady asked.

The girl Sanako now knew as Dorothy made no reply. A boy with long purple-ish hair walked down the stairs, and didn't yet notice the quiet Sanako by the door.

"What's wrong, Natalie?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Dorothy won't talk to me."

The boy quietly contemplated this, then looked over and saw Sanako by the door.

"Oh, hello. Can I help you?"

Sanako nods and handed him the stuffed animal. "Umm…she left it by the fountain," Sanako said, quietly.

"Fern…!" Dorothy quietly exclaimed, running over and snatching the animal from the boy.

Natalie shook her head and smiled. "That was all…thank you very much, Miss…"

"Sanako."

"Ah, what a pretty name. It fits the girl, though, huh, Ray?"

The boy looked over from making sure Dorothy was okay, obviously having not heard their conversation from the confused look on his face, and said, "Yep."

"I don't know what Dorothy would have done without Fern. We must repay you somehow…"

"Oh, no. No need. I just wanted to make sure she got it back," Sanako said, her voice getting a little louder from being comfortable with her surroundings.

"Nonsense!" Natalie yelled. "Oh, I know! You must stay for dinner! The town decided to have an unofficial dinner tonight, and it would be an honor to have you there."

"Oh, I couldn't…"

Natalie was about to protest again, but Ray interrupted her. "Maybe she has to get home to her family?"

Sanako's face flashed the pain she felt at the word 'family', but it was so quick Natalie didn't even notice it. "Oh, it's nothing like that…"

Ray had noticed the flash of pain on Sanako's face.

"Well, I guess if that's not it, you've got no choice," he said, shrugging with a smile.

Sanako racked her brain for a better argument, when both Natalie and Ray exchanged a look in which they knew they had the victory. Sanako mentally kicked herself for not coming up with a good case; she had always been good at debating and, in any other situation, would have easily taken home the victory.

Sanako sighed and conjured up the best smile she could manage. "Okay, I suppose I will."

"Good. I knew you'd come around," Natalie said, smiling. ""Where are you from, anyway?"

"A…different town. I'm looking for a new house, and this is the first town I've been to."

"Oh, Mana's got an extra little farm house her family's not using. Maybe you can ask her about it," Natalie suggested, turning to Ray. "Sanako over to see Mana, please, Ray."

Ray noded. "Will you be okay here?"

Natalie smiled. "Why are you talking to your elder like that? Of course I'll be okay!"

Ray blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, sorry Natalie…"

"Okay, well go on!" Natalie said, shooing them out.

"Thank you," Sanako said before walking out, Ray following her.

Natalie smiled at them as they close the door, and went back to her errands.

As Sanako and Ray walked next door, Ray attempted to make small talk. "So…umm…lovely…weather? The flowers are all blooming very, um, fast…"

Sanako, refusing to make eye contact with his bright blue eyes, nodded in agreement and laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Ray looked at her in confusion.

"Nothing…it's nothing…" She said, laughing a little bit more.

"Obviously it's something…"

"No…it's just…your topic choice…"

"You mean the weather?"

"Yeah," Sanako said, smiling at the ground.

Ray smiled a confused smile at her. "So…you're laughing at me commenting on the weather?" he asked to clarify.

"Mmhmm…" Sanako said, trying to hide her smile.

Ray shook his head, still smiling, as they walked into the town's market. A girl with long dark hair – almost a dark purple – and a long pink dress was inside, staring at the clock.

"Hello Mana," Ray greeted her.

The girl looked up, apparently startled by their sudden entrance, and smiled Ray.

"Oh, hello Ray. Oh? Who's your friend?" Mana asked politely, smiling at Sanako.

Sanako looked away from her smiling face while Ray introduced her. "This is Sanako. She's hoping to make a home here in Alvarna."

"Oh, is that right? It's a lovely town here. I'm sure you'll love it, too."

Sanako just smiled at her, not sure what to say.

"That being said, we were wondering if you had any plans of using your farm house up the path…"

"Oh! I don't think so. I'd ask my father, but he's off doing something. Continuing his birthday fun from yesterday is my guess…"

"Do you know where we could find him?" Ray asked.

Mana shook her head. "He said he was going to a nearby town to get a few things, but he's been gone a long time…"

"Maybe we should go look for him," Ray suggested.

Mana hesitated. Looking at the clock again, she nodded her face full of worry.

The three lock up the store and head north, up to the Falling Star Path. There, they were met with three choices: left, straight or right.

"Um, which way should we go?" Sanako asked, reading one of the signs.

'Trieste Forest Entrance,' the sign read.

"We've got to start somewhere," Ray commented, leading the way to the right.

The entrance was filled with all different types of flowers and plants. In front of the pathway there was another sign. This one read, 'Trieste Forest The temperature climate is perfect for spring vegetables.'

Sanako smiled to herself at the thought of having apples; they were her favourite spring time food.

Ray and Sanako started down the path, but Mana didn't move, and looked around nervously.

Sanako noticed she wasn't following and whispered to Ray, "I think Mana's scared…"

Ray looked back and saw Mana standing still.

"Mana, it's okay…nothing is going to happen to you," Ray said soothingly.

Mana still didn't move.

Sanako sighed and took out her Claymore sword, showing it to Mana.

"Monsters won't be a problem," Sanako said.

Mana looked at the sword, and then relaxed a little.

The three stopped toward the middle of the first area of the forest and looked around. Suddenly Mana screamed.

Ray and Sanako looked back to see a walking apple approaching.

Sanako walked in front of Mana, pointing her sword at the monster.

The apple stopped and stared at the sword, then curled up and began to roll toward the three.

Sanako sighed, drew back her sword, then, when the apple reached her, hit the apple with enough force to knock it over. It disappeared, and Sanako turned to Ray and Mana, her face completely calm and collected. Ray and Mana's faces, however, showed shock; Sanako's calm expression only added to their surprise.

"Th-thank you, Sanako," Mana finally managed to say, breaking the silence.

Her face was still mimicking the shock she felt inside, Sanako noticed, but Ray's expression was something different.

What that was, Sanako didn't know.

Sanako looked over and saw an apple tree up the path.

"Oh! Are those apples?" Sanako asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes, it appears they are," Ray said, his unreadable expression still on his face.

Sanako decided to figure out the expression later, but took the smile he had as an okay for getting an apple.

They walked toward the tree, on the way meeting a couple archers and orcs; they ended up like the walking apple by Sanako's sword.

When they got to the apple tree, Ray reached up and grabbed an apple. He handed it to Sanako, saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Sanako took the apple and smiled at him. "So, if we got in a fight, I could eat an apple and I won't see you that day?" she asked, taking a bite of the apple.

He looked at her, his unreadable expression still there but a bit softer; it was covered by a look of amused surprise.

"Nah, I'm not a doctor yet, so you'd still be stuck talking to me. Not that I can imagine getting in a fight with you," Ray replied.

Sanako took another bite of her apple so she could think of a comeback, but since she was distracted by Ray's smile, she was drawing a blank.

But, Sanako just didn't realize that Ray was smiling because he was distracted by the sparkle of excitement in Sanako's eyes.

He wasn't sure what brought it on – going on this adventure against monsters, maybe? – and he wondered if she noticed it, too.

Mana stood by, watching the two of them, and smiled. She was determined to make Sanako stay in Alvarna as long as she could; she would make sure her father, Douglas, would agree to let Sanako live in their farm house.

"Well, it doesn't look like he's here," Sanako said, taking another look around.

"Yes, I think you're right…let's try another place," Ray said.

The group made their way back to the road that led to two other roads when they saw a big man with blonde hair and a blonde moustache.

"Daddy!" Mana exclaimed, running over to him.

She stopped right in front of him and glared up at him.

"You had me worried sick! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you and I even went looking for you!"

"M-mana, calm down. I was just out getting a few things, like I told you," he said, showing her the bag in his hand.

He looked over and noticed Sanako and Ray.

"Hello Ray…oh, a new face? And who might you be, little missy?" Douglas asked Sanako.

Sanako, intimidated by how big Douglas was, looked at the ground and said quietly, "Sanako."

"Well, hello Sanako! Nice to meet you! Are you visiting Alvarna?"

"Actually, dad, I wanted to talk to you about that…do you think she could live in the farm? We haven't used it in forever," Mana said.

Douglas paused and stroked his moustache.

"You like farming, kid?" he asked.

"Um, I've never tried it before…but I bet I can do it."

Douglas laughed and patted Sanako on the back, perhaps harder than he meant to. Sanako withstood the blow, and tried to smile at him through the pain in her back.

"That's the spirit!" Douglas said, his voice loud and booming. "Then you're more than welcome to stay in the farm house. I can't wait to see what kind of foods you'll grow."

Sanako suddenly realized what had happened: she had a place to live. And it was around kind people who cared for each other. She was determined to work hard to make everyone here happy so they would be okay with her staying there; she didn't know yet, but the town was willing to accept her no matter who she was.

Sanako's face must have showed her determined feelings, because Ray's unreadable expression came back when he looked at her.

And after a moment of trying to figure it out while Mana and Douglas talked, Sanako realized what it was.

He was impressed by her.


	2. A Princess

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rune Factory 2, or anything relating to it. ^.^ The personality of Sanako belongs to Emelee._

_This story is dedicated to my friend Emelee [[EmeleeMorgue]]. =] Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**_Chapter Two: A Princess_**

Acres of farm land covered in weeds and other plants were all Sanako saw when Douglas and Mana showed Sanako their farm house.

Ray stood next to her; the same expression of disbelief was on his face.

Douglas handed Sanako a water pail and a hoe.

"Thanks…" Sanako said, looking at them.

Douglas laughed. "No problem, kid!"

"Let us know there's anything we can do for you. You can buy seeds at our store when you're ready," Mana said, smiling at Sanako.

"Alright, thank you…all of you…" Sanako said, smiling a little at them.

All three smiled back at her, assuring her it was the least they could do.

Douglas and Mana said they had to go tend to their store; Sanako promised to visit them soon, then waved goodbye at them.

"Well, is there anything I can help you with?" Ray asked, looking at Sanako with his bright blue eyes.

Sanako's own eyes dropped to the supplies in her hands as she thought. "Mm…no, I think I've got it," she said, looking up and giving him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, though. You've…been really nice to me."

Ray smiled at her. "Of course. If there is ever anything you need, don't hesitate to ask me – especially if you're sick. I am almost a doctor, after all."

Sanako fought back her growing smile. "Okay…I'll keep that in mind."

Ray waved goodbye, then made his way back down to the hospital.

Sanako turned to face her fields alone.

Taking a deep breath, she started toward the mess of plants and weeds.

* * *

Sanako woke up the next day in her bed in her new house. The sun greeted her when she looked out her window.

Her muscles ached a little from the work she did the night before, but she was able to stand up and get ready for the day easily.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door downstairs. Sanako walked down and answered it.

There was a girl with long, blue hair and fancy attire, and a girl with orange hair wearing a purple maid's outfit standing on her porch.

Sanako noticed they had several boxes in their hands.

"Um…hello," Sanako said.

"Hello, you're Sanako, right?" the girl with the blue hair asked, to which Sanako nodded. "I'm Rosalind, and this is Cecilia. We heard you just moved in and don't have a lot of money, so I thought I'd bring you some of my extra clothes, just to see if you liked to have any of them. There's nothing wrong with them, I just never wear them."

"Oh, well, come in…I'm sorry if I troubled you at all…" Sanako said, opening the door wider for them.

"Oh, no trouble at all," Rosalind said, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

They placed the boxes on the ground in the middle of her front room.

Sanako walked over and opened one of them, taking out a long off-white, sleeveless dress. It was slightly worn out and rugged, with layers at the bottom.

"Wow…this is beautiful…" Sanako said, admiring it.

"You should try it on," Cecilia suggested, smiling at Sanako.

Sanako hesitated, then looked at the dress again, and agreed to.

They helped her try it on, and, when they were done, Sanako admired herself in a mirror close by.

The top fit to her figure, and was very flattering. The bottom was a little wide, so the layers flowed as she walked.

Her face turned a little red when Rosalind and Cecilia complimented her on how she looked.

She was about to take it off to put it back away, when there was a knock on the door.

"Um…come in…" Sanako said, awkwardly trying to decide between running upstairs or facing the person at the door in the dress.

The door opened and Ray walked in.

Sanako saw Rosalind's face light up when he smiled at her and Cecilia.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, Sanako," Ray said, finally looking over at Sanako.

Sanako's face turned a deep red as she saw him notice what she was wearing.

"Oh…wow…Sanako, that looks…really good on you," Ray said, blushing a little.

"Oh…well, thank you…Rosalind was kind enough to give it to me…" Sanako said, looking down to hide her own blushing.

"You know her?" Rosalind asked Ray, looking suspiciously at Sanako.

"Huh? Oh, right…" Ray said, trying to compose himself. "Um…I met her yesterday at the hospital. She found Fern for Dorothy and returned her."

"Oh, is that so?" Rosalind said.

Sanako nodded. "Y-yeah…he helped me get this house to live in."

"Oh, no, no. Mana just thought Sanako was sweet, and when Sanako said she needed a new place to live, Mana jumped at the chance to have her move here," Ray said, smiling at Sanako. "I'm glad to see you've already met two more people in our town."

"Yes, they've been so nice to me," Sanako said.

"Well, we like to take care of each other in this town, and since you live here now, we're here to take care of you, too," Cecilia said, putting a small tiara from the box on Sanako's head. "This matches the dress perfectly."

"I feel silly…"Sanako said, but smiled and flipped her short brown hair to show off the tiara.

"You look just like a princess," Ray said, laughing a little.

"I think she looks pretty," Cecilia said, smiling at Sanako.

Rosalind didn't make any comments, but just stared at Sanako with an expressionless face that made Sanako a little nervous.

"Well, I can see you're in good hands, so I'll see you later Sanako. Come visit me at the hospital sometime today, if you get the chance," Ray said.

"Alright, thank you, Ray," Sanako said, as he walked out.

"Well, I'm sure you have a place for these clothes, so we won't bother you with staying," Rosalind said, walking over to the door. "If you need anything, I live in the place next to the Inn. I hope you like your clothes," Rosalind said, giving her a forced smile before stepping out the door.

Cecilia smiled at her before following Rosalind out.

As Sanako stood in her now empty house, she realized that she had accidently made an enemy – or as she was sure Rosalind would put it, a 'rival'.


	3. Lunch Date

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rune Factory 2, or anything relating to it. ^^ The personality of Sanako belongs to Emelee. __This story is dedicated to my friend Emelee [[EmeleeMorgue]]. Hope you enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter Three: Lunch Date_**

After Sanako had put away the dress, she looked through the boxes for something less flashy to wear.

She preferred darker colors; not necessarily all black, but a little never hurt.

She found a dark tan, long sleeve shirt and a long dark brown skirt. Both had gold-colored trimmings, but, after looking through the rest of the clothes, it was one of the only outfits that wasn't too fancy.

After looking at herself in the mirror, she thought about what she should do that day.

Knowing she couldn't put it off forever, she sighed and grabbed the hoe Douglas gave her and walked out to greet her field.

There were only a few weeds left; Sanako had taken care of almost all of them the day before.

How she wasn't tired after all of that, Sanako wasn't sure.

But she was thankful to be able to work.

Though she procrastinated a lot, Sanako did her work thoroughly when she got around to doing it.

She wanted to be proud of the things she did.

* * *

After about a couple hours of working in her field, Sanako decided to go by seeds from Douglas and Mana's store.

She walked down the path and waited outside for the store to open.

She still had about fifteen minutes, so she stood on the little bridge and took in her surroundings; her new home.

The view was beautiful. A few minutes later, she forgot what she was doing there in the first place.

She was brought back into reality when Ray walked up behind her.

"Oh, hello, Sanako. It's nice to see you again this morning," he said, walking over to her.

"Oh, good morning, Ray. What are you doing here?" Sanako asked.

"I'm opening the hospital," he said, showing her the keys in his hand. "What about you?"

"I'm waiting for the store to open. I need seeds," Sanako replied, turning to face him. "I'm making progress on my farm and thought seeds would help a lot."

Ray laughed. "They would help, wouldn't they?" he said. "Well, feel free to visit me later, if you're not too terribly busy."

"Oh…alright," Sanako said quietly.

Just then Rosalind walked by. "Oh, good morning Ray."

"Good morning Rosalind," Ray replied, smiling at her. "Is that your breakfast?"

He pointed to the croissant in her hand.

"Oh, yes, I don't usually like to have breakfast, so I just have a croissant in the mornings."

"Oh, I see. Well, as long as you're keeping yourself healthy…"

Sanako stood by, listening to their conversation before she finally decided to speak. "Good morning, Rosalind," she said in a slightly harsh tone.

Rosalind glanced at her. "Oh you, too, Sanako. Well, I'm off. See you later," she said before walking off.

Sanako watched her walk away, slightly irritated.

"Don't mind Rosalind," Ray said as he turned back to Sanako. "I bet she's just tired."

"I hope so…" Sanako said quietly.

Ray smiled at her. "Have you been able to meet everyone else here in Alvarna?"

"Um…no, not everyone…just you, Mana, Douglas, Cecilia, and Rosalind…" Sanako recalled, counting each of them on her fingers.

"Well, why don't you go meet everyone, and then come back here and we can have lunch together," Ray offered.

"Oh…are you sure?"

"Of course. You can tell me what you think of everyone."

Sanako nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Then I'll see you around noon then. Don't be late," Ray teased.

"But it's fashionable to be late…" Sanako complained.

Ray gave her a confused look, to which Sanako gave him a cunning smile.

"Just kidding. Noon it is," Sanako agreed.

Mana and Douglas walked by at that moment and greeted Ray and Sanako.

"Good morning you two," Mana said with a sweet smile.

"Morning kids," Douglas said.

"Good morning Mana, and Douglas," Ray said.

"Morning," Sanako said. "Lovely weather today."

Douglas looked up at the clear sky. "It looks to be that way, yeah."

"Did you need something from our store, Sanako?" Mana asked.

"Oh, yes, I need seeds," Sanako said.

Mana nodded and smiled. "Well, we have plenty for you!"

"Take good care of Sanako, Mana," Ray said, smiling at them. "I have to open the hospital now, so I'll see you at noon, Sanako. _On time._"

He winked at her at the last part, and then walked over and into the hospital.

Douglas walked into the store, but Mana stayed back with Sanako.

"What was that all about??" Mana squealed.

"…what was what?" Sanako asked, looking around confused.

"You and Ray!"

"…we were talking about being late?"

"Late for what?!"

"Lunch?"

"Oh my goodness! That's so great!"

"…I guess it is, because I get to eat…" Sanako said, obviously not catching on to what Mana meant.

Mana sighed. "Never mind, Sanako-chan. Well, come on inside. You need some seeds!" she said, grabbing Sanako's hand and pulling her inside.


	4. New Faces

**_Chapter 4 -- New Faces_**

Mana and Douglas' shop was very simplistic in design and decorations, but it gave Sanako the impression that happy families lived in this kind of inviting home.

Sanako felt the pain in her heart at such a thought, but fought back the sadness.

After all, she had a brand new home, surrounded by people who loved one another.

Mana turned back to Sanako, noticing the conflicted look on her face, and gave her a sweet smile. Sanako managed to give her a small smile back; she felt a little better every time Mana smiled at her.

"Well, we have plenty of spring-time seeds for ya, kid. Have a look," Douglas said, showing Sanako the seeds.

She looked at all the bags, each with a picture of the fruit fully grown.

"So many choices…" Sanako said.

One bag with a big pink melon on it caught her eye.

"How about this one?"

"Sure kid. Those are pink melons. Enjoy," Douglas said, handing her the bag.

She gave him the correct payment, and smiled at her bag of seeds. This was the start of her new life. This was the beginning.

"Is that all we can help you with?" Mana asked with a smile.

"I think so…thank you very much for your help," Sanako said.

"No problem. Come by any time," Douglas said.

"I will." Sanako gave them a short wave and bow, then walked out, the pink melon seeds in her hand.

_Before I can meet Ray for lunch, I have to introduce myself to everyone…I wonder how many people live in this town…_ Sanako thought to herself as she put the seeds in her drawer in her home.

She noticed her clothes were dirty from the farming, so she went to find something else to wear.

She picked a green, form-fitting shirt and a black skirt – both didn't seem to match any of the other clothes, but they immediately became Sanako's favorite outfit.

She walked outside, and went toward the Falling Star Path. While she was on her way a little boy with green-colored hair, and a girl with pink hair in pigtails were chasing each other.

The boy stopped in front of Sanako, and the pink haired girl followed suit, standing right next to him.

"Heeeeeeey there!" the boy said in a slightly high pitched voice. "Who are you?"

"Do you want to play a game with us?" the girl asked with a smile.

"Uh…" Sanako said, slightly taken aback.

"Roy, Cammy, don't bother this girl," a girl wearing a kimono and black hair said. "She's obviously too old to be playing games with you kids."

The boy sighed. "Fine, Yue. By the way, I'm Roy," he said, introducing himself to Sanako.

"And I'm Cammy. Nice to meet you!" the girl added.

"Hello…I'm Sanako. It's nice to meet you both, too," Sanako said.

"Race you to the Mayor's office!" Roy suddenly challenged Cammy.

"You're on!" Cammy agreed, running off.

"No fair!" Roy called out, running to catch up with her.

The girl Roy had referred to as Yue walked over to meet Sanako as well. "Hello, Sanako was it? I'm Yue, the town's travelling sales girl," she said, smiling proudly. "If there's anything you need to buy that you can't get at Mana's shop, I'm the girl to come to."

"Nice to meet you, as well," Sanako said, bowing to her. "I like your kimono."

"Aw, thanks. I'm always worried about it getting dirty, though," Yue said with a laugh.

Sanako nodded, at a loss of what else to say.

"So, are you the new girl I've been hearing about?" Yue asked. "Ray's been telling everyone that a new girl just moved into Mana's farm house."

"Yeah, that's me…I hope he was saying good things…"

"Yeah, he was smiling a lot when he told me. Seems like you two have grown quickly in the short time you've been here."

Sanako nodded and gave her a little smile. "I guess so. He was the one who asked Mana if I could live in her farm house, so I owe him a lot for his kindness."

Yue nodded. "Ray's a sweet guy. I think that's why Rosalind's so smitten with him. But I guess she's not the only one," she added with a smile.

"Well…I won't keep you any longer," Sanako said, wary of the smile Yue had on her face. "It was nice to meet you. See you around."

"You, too, Sanako. Welcome to Alvarna!" Yue said, taking her leave.

Sanako just smiled at her, and started walking down into town.

She walked by the Inn – or at least, that's what the sign in front of the building claimed it was – and she saw Cecilia and a boy with pointed ears talking outside.

"Oh, thank you Jake," Cecilia said, holding a purple stone in her hands. "I love these."

"Yeah, I know you do, Ceci. That's why I got it for you," the boy replied, blushing a little.

"Cecilia? Jake? Is that you two?" a voice from inside the Inn called.

"Yes, Egan! It's us!" Cecilia called to him.

A man wearing a dark green outfit with a hat, black hair, and pointy ears walked out. "Oh there you two are. I need help inside…"

Cecilia nodded and noticed Sanako was walking by. "Oh, Sanako-Chan! Egan, Jake, this is Sanako!" she introduced, taking Sanako's arm and pulling her over to them.

"Pff, human…" Jake said, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

"Jake, there's no need to be rude," Egan scolded, then turned to Sanako. "Nice to meet you, Sanako. I've heard good things about you from Cecilia. We are excited you're living in our town now."

"Oh…it's nice to meet you both, too."

"Egan, Jake and I are all elves, just in case you noticed our pointy ears," Cecilia said, smiling as she touched Jake's ear.

"You don't have to explain anything to her, a human, Cecilia," Jake protested.

"Oh Jake, Sanako is nice," Cecilia insisted. "Anyway, sorry for keeping you, I just wanted you to meet them. I will see you later."

Sanako nodded as the three of them walked inside the Inn. She walked a little further on and saw the mansion that she knew Rosalind must live in.

She didn't want to cause any further problems, so she turned the other way and started walking.

On her way there, she passed a boy with brown hair, and a brown bandana walking the other way. As he walked by her, he dropped something, and Sanako promptly picked it up and turned to give it to him.

"Um…sorry, but you dropped this…" Sanako said to the boy, who turned to look at her.

At first he glared at her as he saw her outstretched hand with the box in it, but then he looked at her face and his glare softened.

Quickly he composed himself to put on the cool exterior he normally had. "Thanks," he said, grabbing the box, and turning to walk away.

Before she could think, she said, "I'm Sanako."

He turned again. "I didn't ask for your name," he said coldly.

Sanako flinched as she felt the sharpness of his words.

The boy noticed and thought quickly to atone for what he said. "I'm Barrett," he said in a quiet voice.

"Barrett…nice to meet you," Sanako said warily. "Sorry for bothering you."

This time she turned to leave and he spoke. "Not a bother."

She turned to look at him as he took a long look at her, then made his way toward the fountain.

Sanako sighed as she walked a little further past the Mayor's office, to a little dock.

She looked out at the water, and noticed her cheeks were flushed from talking to Barrett.

_Who was that boy…?_


	5. Fortune Telling

**_Chapter 5 -- Fortune Telling_**

Sanako decided she had seen enough of the water, and backtracked to her farm. She went right from Mana's shop, so she could avoid the mansion.

There was a store and Sanako walked in, finding herself in the midst of a workshop.

There was a forge to her right, and woman with a sword in her hand on the left. The smile the lady had on as she sharpened her sword made Sanako nervous.

"Hello there," the woman said, setting down her sword. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…"

"I haven't seen you around here before. You must be Sanako. Roy ran by here while he was playing earlier and told me about you. Nice to meet you."

"You, too…" Sanako replied.

"I'm Tanya, by the way, Roy's mom. And this is the place where you get all your weapon needs met." She looked over and noticed Sanako's Claymore. "Oh, let me see that."

Sanako took her sword out of its cover and handed it to her. As Tanya examined it, Sanako stood there awkwardly.

Suddenly Tanya started laughing. Sanako looked up at her, wondering what she was going to say.

"Looks like you've got a pretty nice one here," she said, swinging the sword. "I'm sure you could get an even better sword, though!"

Sanako flinched away from her swinging and, when Tanya put it back it in its cover, she put it back on her back. Just then a big man in a robe and a tall, important looking hat, as well as a scar on his eye walked in.

"Tanya!! So good to see you! I was just in the neighborhood, and…" the man looked over and noticed Sanako. "Oh, and who might you be?"

"This is Sanako. I'm sure Cammy told you about her," Tanya said.

"She did, actually. Nice to meet you, Sanako! I'm Gordon, the town's friendly priest at your service! I'm in the little church over by Mayor Byron's place," he said in a loud, booming voice. "I'm also Cammy and Dorothy's father. But, from what I hear, you've already met them."

Sanako nodded and Gordon laughed.

"Well…it was nice to meet both of you, but I must get back to my farm, I'll see you later," Sanako said, slipping by Gordon.

"Come back when you want to upgrade your weapon!" she heard Tanya call out.

She turned and nodded, then left.

She thought back and all that was left was the Mayor's office, which, in her rush to get past the mansion, she noticed she had missed.

She decided the quickest way was to go by the mansion, so she summoned up all her courage, and fast walked past it, looking the other direction just in case Rosalind was standing by a window.

She reached the Mayor's office, and let herself in. There was a stout man with glasses and a very official look to him. He was mumbling something about his son, who had wandered off.

"Um…Mayor?" Sanako said unsurely. Ray hadn't mentioned anything about him, other than where his house was.

Sanako worried it was because he wasn't as nice as he looked.

He looked up surprised, obviously have been caught up in his own thoughts, and smiled. "Hello young lady. I am Mayor Byron. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Sanako. I just moved into Mana's farmhouse, and I was just going around and meeting everyone…" Sanako said.

"Oh, splendid! Ray came around earlier and mentioned you might stop by. Such a kind boy, that Ray. Anyway, welcome to Alvarna! I hope you love this town as much as everyone here does," he said happily. "If you need to build anything, such as a barn for holding animals, just talk to me and we'll be all squared away."

"A barn? You mean, I can have animals?"

"Well of course! Animals are great companions! Just be careful if you want to go out and get one. There are plenty of monsters around where the animals are."

Sanako nodded, having already dealt with a walking apple. What could be weirder than that?

"Well, I won't waste any more of your time," Sanako said politely.

Mayor Byron smiled. "Have a good day, Sanako."

"You, too."

With that, Sanako walked out and checked her watch.

It was eleven forty five.

She decided to head south from the fountain and see where it went before she went to get lunch.

She walked down and found herself by a dock. The waves crashed against the poles that held up the dock, sparkling in the morning sun.

She walked down a set of stairs, and noticed a girl wearing a very elaborate purple outfit, with a matching hat.

"Oh, hello there," the girl said in a slightly alluring voice. "Tell your fortune?"

Before Sanako could answer, the girl grabbed her hand and said an incantation that Sanako couldn't understand.

"Okay! I see that you're a new traveller here…and you are staying in Mana's farmhouse…"

Sanako raised an eyebrow. Of course she would know that.

"And…I see two boys, who I see you having a bright future with, should you choose either of them. From this town, in fact…"

This was a little more specific, but of course they'd be from this town. Where else would they be from?

"Can you tell me the names?" Sanako asked.

The girl gave her a big smile. "That secret stays with me."

Sanako took her hand back. "Okay, how about your name, then?"

"Oh, I'm Alicia. Nice to meet you Sanako," she said.

Sanako didn't look surprised that she knew her name. Everyone else seemed to know. "You, too. So, you're a fortune-teller?"

"The one and only in this town. I can give accurate readings on locations of people, the weather, and love. Just let me know when you need a reading. For a price, of course."

Sanako nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Alicia smiled. "Good."

Sanako decided she'd seen everything around the dock, so she headed back to the fountain where she saw a bulletin board she hadn't notice before.

With a closer look, she noticed there was a list of requests from people in the town.

Sanako read through the first few requests: there was one from Mayor Byron that said he needed help finding Barrett, one from Dorothy that said she had lost her amethyst broach and one from Rosalind that said she needed a test subject.

Re-checking her watch she saw that it was already twelve. She didn't have time because she had to meet Ray for lunch, so she made a mental note to check back later and help everyone out. She would also have to ask Ray what the bulletin board was for.

She smiled and headed for the hospital to have lunch with Ray, and, for some reason, she felt slightly nervous about it.


End file.
